To Melt Ice
by goldleaves
Summary: Written for Goldenlake's Royal Week: They met on a battlefield, but that didn't matter. Roald x OC


The day of the Last Battle of the Scanran war grew bright and crisp, the knights and soldiers of Tortall saw their breaths come out as gasps of white gas in front of them as they pulled their garments towards them as they mumbled to themselves about a wish for the scanran war to be over before Yule.

As they charged against what army remained of the Maggot's they heard a deep horn echo from the mountains and the charge of horse feet, and they watched in awe and in fear as hundreds of knights appeared on the rim of the basin of which they were fighting, and none of them wore the colours or standard of Tortall, however flying in the wind above them was the flag of Scanra, the flag of the Scanran King - long thought to be nautral in the war, he had finally chosen a side.

And they rode down in waves and they attacked to the front lines of Maggur's army decimating all those they faced, and soon they brought down the self-called King - Maggur.

A voice carried over the straglers of the Scanran army,

"Put down your weapons and go home! This war is over by order of King Leothig the Third of Scanra!" and Roald watched as many peasants and soldiers placed down their weapons and fled home.

* * *

Roald watched in interest as a woman, her hair the bright, but pale, blonde of the high nobility of Scanra rode towards them, her eyebrows were thin and arched giving him the impression that she was always looking down at someone, and her eyes were the bright blue of the sky that day, the blue of a Scanran sky - the blue of Scanra.

She wore the same blue upon her. Her silver chainmail covered by a padded blue tunic, and clasped behind her was a this particular shade of blue in a cape, which was embroided with a large golden eagle.

"We will deal with this traitor - this is our business, return to your home" she spoke to him, her voice and her eyes icy and knowing that he had no choice he nodded and started the long trip home, to inform his father of what had happened.

A month after his return to Corus, the celebrations were still going on, but life was getting back to normal, when a letter arrived.

* * *

**Royal Palace**

**Corus**

**Tortall**

_Their Royal Majesties, _

_King Jonathon IV of Conté, and his fair wife,_

_Queen Thayet._

_It is my pleasure to inform you that we have apprehended the traitorous criminal, Maggur, as you may have already heard. He has been sent to me here in the Scibrea Ice-planes, where i have been exiled to for many years._

_Even now we work on regaining control of Scanra, but i, and my advisors, have decided that Maggur should be subjected to a war crimes trial so that all will know what both Tortall and Scanra have suffered under his hands, i offer you this as a way of peace between our two countries as many there, i would believe, have a hatred for us._

_With your permission we would like to hold this trial within Corus, as we have no working Capital or law enforcing courts of our own that can be judgemental and handle this case without Maggur being killed before we know the full truth._

_I await your letter,_

_With Regards,_

_King Leothig III of Scanra_

**Scibrea planes**

**Scanra**

**

* * *

**

The group from Scanra arrived in Corus three months later, their flags flying high and their faces proud as they continued past despite the jeering, but as they realized that they escorted the prisoner - the hated Maggur - to his death they cheered for their Scanran visitors and they threw rotten fruit at the small and greasy man sitting inside the cage.

Roald watched his circlet of princedom heavy upon his brow, as they entered the courtyard in which they were waiting. Next to him stood his brother and wife - Shinkonami of the Yamani Isles- and on the other side stood his father and mother.

He looked out into the visitors and he saw her, the same woman who had spoken to them after the battle, this time she wore simple grey riding clothes, and her hair was up in a long tail at the back of her head. And that was when he recognized the resemblance between her and the man standing next to her.

The man with the crown of Scanra upon his head: King Leothig.

Leothis wore his hair up also, and his eyebrows were also the same arch as the womans, and his eyes the same blue. But he was taller than she, and the way he walked showed that he was weary from the surmountable years on the throne, and in exile, as his hair was mostly white instead of the pale blonde of hers.

* * *

He watched from the tiers as many stood and said what Maggur had done, the trial was into its 32nd day and he was getting weary of it, but he knew that it was almost over,

"And lastly, the last matter to be brought to this court against Maggur Rathhausak. The incident in Chelumpar, sixteen years ago." Said the booming voice of the Lord Judge.

And suddenly Roald remembered that Chelumpar was the land that Blayce had been given by Maggur to create his killing devices, apparently others also remembered this as they sat straighter on the wooden benches.

"Maggur Rathhausak has been charged with the personal murder and rape of the household of Chelumpar and the massacre of the village around it, as well as holding the lands, torturing children and destroying crops ... what say you Maggur?"

The slimy man just smiled, showing his yellow teeth,

"You have no proof" he was smug.

"We have a witness"

"Who? Who is this witness?"

"Would the witness stand please" and Roald watched in interest as the woman, who had been haunting his dreams with her remarkable resemblance to the king and her sky blue eyes that seared his soul stood and made her way down, silently, towards the witness box.

"State your name, rank, home fief, and relation to those affected, and how you were there"

"Anastaciea Heltkont, Lady and Knight, Chelumpar, second daughter of the Lord and Lady of Chelumpar, Only survivor of that line, and of the family but one"

"Who is that one?"

"King Leothig" and he was surprised, she was practically a princess,

"How are you related to King Leothig"

"We are cousins through our paternal grandfather - King Nicholas VI"

"How old were you at the time?"

"Five"

"Do you have any evidence, apart from the account you've given" he said lifting the file

"Aye, His blade touched my skin - I still have the scar" and a murmur went through the crowd, they knew that the court mages had the knowledge to see years in the past to see who had done what based on bruises or scars, or even scratches if necessary, as long as they were on the living,

"Wouldst you show us this scar?" And he watched as she unbuttened one sleeve and rolled it up to reveal a silvery scar running up the length of her forearm, it was jagged and strange across her already pale skin, and she looked at it with a sense of detatchment.

The mages went forward placing their fingertips over the scar and soon a bright blue, and a bright orange light glowed around the fingertips of the men and her scar, moving away from her they said,

"Maggur Rathhausak did indeed cause that scar"

* * *

They were standing on one of the balconies, not caring about the other, just to watch the execution of a traitor. As his head was chopped off Roald turned his head to look at the beautiful woman standing near him,

"Morning" he spoke, and she turned her eyes to him,

"We've met before" she spoke, her Scanran ancestry barely accenting her common,

"Aye ... I'm-"

"I know who you are, your highness"

"Oh, well i'm, i'm sorry for your family"

"It was years ago - I can barely remember them anymore"

"Oh"

And they stood there in a companionable silence momentarily.

"I hope you like your time here in Tortall, I would be honoured to escort you around"

"Thank you - that would be nice, and i think i will, however i must go now, apparently there is a ball that i _must_ attend"

"I will see you there my lady"

"And you my lord" and then she was gone, leaving him once more to think about her.

* * *

He watched as she moved around the ballroom her light blue and silver dress cascading around her, and her blonde hair long and straight as it fell past her shoulders.

And he watched as she danced with the other noblemen from Scanra.

He watched as she laughed and she drank from her glass of wine, he watched the way her lips moved as she spoke her natural language and it was then that he realized that he loved her, that he had fallen in love with her the very first time that they had met on the battle field in Scarna.

He followed her as she made her way into the gardens for some air,

"Good Even, my lady" he said, startling her and causing her to spin around,

"Good even, my lord - what are you doing here"

"I, ugh ... wanted to talk to you"

"What about my lord?"

* * *

She had not expected what he had said next,

"I love you" and then he cupped her face gently with his hands and kissed her. And he was like fire - hot and passionate but comforting and peaceful, and she clung to him as she returned the kiss with equal fervour, and she felt the ice walls that she had built around her heart after her parents death begin to melt.

He was melting her anger, and her rage, and her pain until all that was left was love.

For she loved him too.

* * *

Crown Prince Roald and Lady Anastaciea of Scanra were married later that year, and eventually became King and Queen. And the lands of Scanra and Tortall were joined to create the United Lands of the Middle Lands. And the world was subjected to many years of peace, and they had many children, and all was well.


End file.
